I was wondering how everyone here attained their coops. Did you build yours? Buy it fully assembled or did you buy a kit? We're considering either building one or getting an unassembled kit. Like anything, there are pro's and con's and I was hoping someone could maybe help steer me in the right direction. I've also been checking Craigslist for a used one but haven't had much luck finding one that was either reasonably priced, close enough to me or of a design that I cared for. I know that the initial start up of keeping chickens tends to be the most expensive but since this is my first time, I'd like to find the best deal.

When I told the powers that be who owned the metal shed they told me it was garbage and they would be over.

I told them I would look after it. I scraped the metal doors and put in wooden ones. I lined the inside with 2 inch Styrofoam and the veneer off a few interior doors I picked up for a song at Habitat for Humanity.

Presto Chicken Coop! It turned into a minor rebuild and renovation but it has served me well.

February 4, 2013 the temperature currently is 21F with a wind chill of 6F. The long range forecast for next week is -10F with wind chills of hovering around -40F. I brought out fresh water to all the birds I may get away with only two water changes today!

I got 4 eggs from the old flock of 6 Golden Comets this morning (one egg on the poop board clean as a whistle thank you very much).

No light; No heat; NO PROBLEMS. I must put a thermometer in the coop next trip out just to see what the temperature is inside. I do not think that it is that much different to be honest from outside the coop.

Things are great in the coop the winds are high and it is snowing. I shut my ventilation ports up. There is enough leakage around the doors and windows in that small coop (4x8 foot print) to keep things right. The litter and poop is froze harder than a rock. The water was not frozen solid which I found odd this morning hence will be adding the thermometer.

Hi JackE! Could you recommend a book? I've been looking on Amazon and reading reviews of different coop books and can't seem to settle on one. Your coop looks really nice!

Alternatively, I was thinking of getting a shed kit and turning it into a coop. I can get a nice shed kit here locally for about $700 for an 8 x 10. I've never built anything before, so I don't know about starting from scratch, but I thought with the shed kit it would be a bit easier.

I could also order a shed already built (about $1000 for the same size with no windows) but it seemed like it would be hard to add windows and all the other acoutrements after the fact. The shed company will add windows for you, but they are expensive...$180 for a 3 x 2.

They are already building loafing sheds and a shed/shop for me, and I'm getting 10% off, so it wouldn't be much more to add a shed kit to the bill.

I too would be interested in a coop kit, but I was hoping for a larger coop that in the photo above. Even if I start out with just a few chickens this year, I'd like to have room to expand.

There is a guy here who builds coops, and he has a nice one on Craig's list for $1250. It's a bit smaller than I wanted, though, and I was hoping to do it cheaper. I've been keeping my eyes open for a cheap used shed or something similar, too, but nothing has popped up.

Hi JackE! Could you recommend a book? I've been looking on Amazon and reading reviews of different coop books and can't seem to settle on one. Your coop looks really nice!

Alternatively, I was thinking of getting a shed kit and turning it into a coop. I can get a nice shed kit here locally for about $700 for an 8 x 10. I've never built anything before, so I don't know about starting from scratch, but I thought with the shed kit it would be a bit easier.

I could also order a shed already built (about $1000 for the same size with no windows) but it seemed like it would be hard to add windows and all the other acoutrements after the fact. The shed company will add windows for you, but they are expensive...$180 for a 3 x 2.

They are already building loafing sheds and a shed/shop for me, and I'm getting 10% off, so it wouldn't be much more to add a shed kit to the bill.

I too would be interested in a coop kit, but I was hoping for a larger coop that in the photo above. Even if I start out with just a few chickens this year, I'd like to have room to expand.

There is a guy here who builds coops, and he has a nice one on Craig's list for $1250. It's a bit smaller than I wanted, though, and I was hoping to do it cheaper. I've been keeping my eyes open for a cheap used shed or something similar, too, but nothing has popped up.

BTW, I am new to the chicken world, as we are in the process of buying a house with 10 acres outside of Billings.

Thanks!

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The book I got from Amazon, 'Fresh air poultry houses' has simple plans in it for the Wood's coop. It also is just a good all around book for keeping chickens. There are a bunch of people here who have bought and transformed a pre-made shed into a coop. It's not all that difficult to cut holes and frame up window/ventilation openings. You could buy old salvage windows, and either make it so they slide open, or put them on hinges. That's what I did with my coop.
Welcome to BYC, and congrats on the house/acreage buy.
Jack

The book I got from Amazon, 'Fresh air poultry houses' has simple plans in it for the Wood's coop. It also is just a good all around book for keeping chickens. There are a bunch of people here who have bought and transformed a pre-made shed into a coop. It's not all that difficult to cut holes and frame up window/ventilation openings. You could buy old salvage windows, and either make it so they slide open, or put them on hinges. That's what I did with my coop.
Welcome to BYC, and congrats on the house/acreage buy.
Jack

I am still in the planning stages myself. I live in Colorado. I'm waiting very impatiently for my tax return to come in so I can getting cooking with this coop project. I am fortunate to have a neighbor who is going to build a tractor coop for me. I rent my home (got the ok for chickens from my landlord in writing) so I need a tractor coop if I ever move. Been here going on 7 years now. Anyway, I am basically waiting....and waiting....and waiting!

I am also going to have him modify/fortify a 6' x 17' dog run that is in my backyard. I plan on rolling the coop into the run so I will have the required 4 sq. feet of space per chicken. It will be pretty cool by the time it's all done; with the materials I'm going to need however, it's probably going to cost. I have alot of predators here.....

Chicken Coops for Dummies (maybe the title starts with "Building" but I don't think of it when I think of the book) is available in the BYC Store, as part of some combination specials. Or you can buy it from Amazon. It has four different, specific coops with full plans and directions. I recommend it to people all the time.

One of the co-authors is Rob Ludlow, who is Nifty-Chicken here on BYC (which he created, by the way..)

There are three Dummies books related to chickens, all co-authored by Rob Ludlow: Raising Chickens, Building Coops, and a very new one about Chicken Health.

Thanks for the info....I've heard positive and negative things about this book...I think I might see if they have it at my local library so I can look it over for myself!

name="gryeyes" url="/t/742944/unassembled-coop-kits#post_10441409"]Chicken Coops for Dummies (maybe the title starts with "Building" but I don't think of it when I think of the book) is available in the BYC Store, as part of some combination specials. Or you can buy it from Amazon. It has four different, specific coops with full plans and directions. I recommend it to people all the time.

One of the co-authors is Rob Ludlow, who is Nifty-Chicken here on BYC (which he created, by the way..)

There are three Dummies books related to chickens, all co-authored by Rob Ludlow: Raising Chickens, Building Coops, and a very new one about Chicken Health.[/quote]